Blessed Mabon Everyone!

I wanted to start out today, before posting any usual daily posts and other things, with wishing you all a wonderful and blessed Mabon. As I sat down to get started today I put on some music, as always, and decided to listen to the always wonderful Jenna Greene and the first song on her “Crossroads” album was quite appropriate for today, “Harvest”. I also was able to light my Autumn Candle from Zena Moon Candles today! I had ordered the candle last year and it came too late for Mabon so it sat in my candle drawer waiting for the Wheel to turn to autumn once again. I almost lit it last week but decided to wait and decided that I would light it on Mabon and let it burn through the season (though I’m sure it will be long gone before Yule).

What are your plans for the second harvest? Do you have any special rituals or spellwork planned? If you’re still working on getting together something, you have plenty of time to harness the energy of the harvest today! Here are some correspondences to help you put together a ritual for Mabon.

Gods to be honored:
Mabon
John Barleycorn
Thoth
Hermes
Thor
Dionysus
Bacchus

Goddesses to be honored:
Modron
Persephone
Demeter
Morgan
Epona
Pamona

Symbols and Representations for your altar:
Corn, regular corn or colorful Indian Corn
Fallen autumn leaves
Nuts
Grains
The Cornucopia
Apples, grapes and other fruits that ripen in the fall
Vines, especially grape vines
Pine cones
Oak leaves and sprigs
Gourds
Wine
Pomegranate

Colors:
Dark Reds
Yellow
Gold
Maroon
Brown
Think of the colors of turned autumn leaves and the colors seen in nature at this time and use them as your inspiration.

Herbals to use in ritual:
Rue
Yarrow
Rosemary
Marigold
Sage
Mistletoe
Saffron
Chamomile
Rose hips
Bittersweet
Sunflower
Apple seeds
If you decide to do any harvesting of herbs or plants for your Mabon rituals, remember that it is considered very unlucky to cut down the last of any plant. Be sure to leave at least one of whatever you are cutting down in place (so if you’re out harvesting sage for an altar smudge and there are only 3 stalks to cut down be sure to cut only 2 and leave 1 behind). Always leave an offering behind as well for the plant spirits as a thanks for their sacrifice.

Stones and Crystals for ritual and spellwork:
Citrine
Tiger’s Eye
Yellow Topaz
At Mabon you want to use stones that are ruled by the Sun and that will draw the Sun’s energy to you. As this is energy that is waning you can use them as symbols of the Sun and its energy to keep it close to you through the season.

Animals of Mabon:
Birds of Prey
Black Birds – crows, ravens, blackbird
Owl
Goat
Stag
Wolves

Spell theme suggestions:
Protection
Prosperity
Harmony
Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Rituals of thanksgiving

Rowan’s Mabon Incense:
This is a Mabon incense recipe that I put together a handful of years ago and have been using ever since. Put this together and use this for your rituals and as an offering on your altar.

1 part frankincense
1 part myrrh
1 part patchouli
1 part sandalwood
1/2 part clove
1/2 part nutmeg
1/2 part sage
9 drops apple oil to bind OR the seeds of 1 apple, dried and ground to a powder and about a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp honey to bind

Mix this up and let it dry for at least a few hours before using (this is best made a couple of days ahead of time, especially if you’re using the honey because it will take much longer to dry than the oil and wont burn as easily wet). Burn on a well lit charcoal block.

Later tonight, after my own Mabon ritual, I’ll post some photos of my altar to share.  And with that I leave you all with this poem by Robert Frost and wish you all a wonderful and blessed Mabon or Feast of Avalon as it’s often refered to around here. 🙂

Gathering Leaves
by Robert Frost

Spades take up leaves
No better than spoons,
And bags full of leaves
Are light as balloons.
I make a great noise
Of rustling all day
Like rabbit and deer
Running away.
But the mountains I raise
Elude my embrace,
Flowing over my arms
And into my face.
I may load and unload
Again and again
Till I fill the whole shed,
And what have I then?
Next to nothing for weight,
And since they grew duller
From contact with earth,
Next to nothing for color.
Next to nothing for use.
But a crop is a crop,
And who’s to say where
The harvest shall stop?